Advocating for my disabled brother, Robert, who has intractable epilepsy, unwavering faith and a delightful ability to declare everything excellent. Robert shows me everyday the power of the Magic of Excellent.

Wednesday, August 20, 2014

#mycare Contest Winners!

Take care of yourself, take a picture of it, post it on
social media using #mycare for a chance to win a prize! The prizes of an “I
Care” t-shirt and a $25 Visa gift card were just an added bonus because the
real fun was taking care of ourselves as we care for others.

We picked five winners from the entries posted on Facebook,
Twitter and Instagram but from the looks of the pictures, we all won. How much
fun was it doing something for ourselves (if even for a minute or two)? I found myself recognizing activities or
moments that are part of my every day that really count as #mycare.

I may have personally started off by fulfilling my self-care
with pedicures, manicures and massages but what I realized is I can have a
moment or two of #mycare in my backyard with my dogs or lunch on the patio with
my husband:

Our winners found #mycare with a home pedicure, gardening,
time with friends, a delicious indulgence and a box of chocolates.

Congratulations to Pegi, Richard, Pear Lady, Y Diaz and
Chrisanta! (Please PM me with your
contact info and I will get your prizes out to you).

Even though the contest has ended, I am going to continue to
take care of myself while caring for Robert (and sometimes Richard). I am going
to recognize and be more grateful for those snippets of time that can refill my
bucket.

I don’t want to get in that place of forgetting how to care
for myself. Of doing things that make me happy and that rejuvenate my spirit. I
am going to remember that caring for me is as important as caring for
others.

I can no longer think of self-care as an indulgence – it is
a necessity. Let’s help each other remember that.

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Books for the Caregiver

365 Caregiving Tips: Practical Tips From Everyday Caregivers

Forever a Caregiver, by Trish Hughes Kreis

Tell Your Story

Do you want to tell your caregiving or epilepsy story? I would love to talk to you! Email me at robertssister@att.net and I will publish an interview with you. Telling our own story helps others while also helping ourselves. I look forward to hearing from you! Trish

About Me

Trish Hughes Kreis works as a full-time Legal Administrator and is a freelance writer, blogger and videographer who advocates on behalf of her disabled youngest brother, Robert. Robert lives with intractable epilepsy, has an unwavering faith and a delightful way of declaring everything excellent. Robert has lived with Trish and her husband, Richard, for four years and they do their best to keep him happy, healthy and, well, excellent.

Trish is an advocate for more research on the long-term effects of uncontrolled epilepsy as well as an advocate for expanding the definition of family to include sibling care under the California Family Rights Act and Family and Medical Leave Act.

Trish also does her best to navigate the maze of social services and government programs available to help Robert and keeps him entertained with an endless supply of word search puzzles and game shows.

Trish contributes articles and videos to the Assisted Living Directory and has written for Caring.com, The Intentional Caregiver, Today's Caregiver and the EmblemHealth “What Care Feels Like” microsite. Trish is a co-author and publisher of the "365 Caregiving Tips" book series written with four other experienced caregivers with the hope it helps other caregivers navigate the world of caregiving. Daily tips are posted on the 365CaregivingTips.com website.